Letters to the Editor: Oct. 19

Developers are valuable to city

Thank you to Ben Pilon and the other people who attended the mayoral candidate debate at City Hall last week. Those present will remember that a member of the audience asked Bryan Paterson if he had received campaign donations from development companies. He answered that he had only received campaign contributions from individuals.

When it was my turn to speak, I pointed out that under a new provincial law, candidates may only receive campaign contributions from individuals and not from corporations, unions or other organizations. I suggested that the question to Bryan Paterson should have been: Has he received campaign contributions from any developers such as Ben Pilon, Brit Smith, Ken Dantzer or others?

It is fair to ask who is paying campaign contributions.

Developers are not “evil,” and I have no idea why Pilon is using that word in referring to himself and his developer colleagues. Developers are valuable contributors to our city. What needs to change is city hall’s apparent desire to give them everything they want every time they come through the door.

When developers respect the official plan and zoning bylaws, which took years and much effort and money to put in place, they can go right to the building permit and construction stage without having to apply to council for permission.

What’s the point of having an official plan when it can be ignored to the detriment of neighbourhoods and the city? Yes, Kingston, we can do better.

Vicki Schmolka

Kingston

Leafs are due for a win

It has been my fault since 1968.

I have been the jinx.

But not this year.

No, sir. After, what, five decades? I have quit stopping total strangers on the street with, “This year the Leafs are going all the way.”

2019 and it’ll be my brother Bob’s fault. (I’m passing the torch to younger hands – he’ll be 71, I’ll be 75.) He’s the one to blame, having today damnably, foolishly – as in “Loose lips sink ships” – uttered the kiss of death, i.e., “This season the Leafs are going all the way. Have you reserved your spot on Yonge Street for the parade?”